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Nara Traditional Crafts Experience, Traditional Dance and Music Tour, and Special Exhibition of Nara Crafts, Shrines, and Temples
Nara's traditional crafts have a history that developed together with Nara's shrines and temples, and the techniques of these crafts have been passed down to the present day.
This event will feature the following four projects to allow participants to immerse themselves in its history and traditions.
Event Duration: (1) & (2) November 1 and 15, December 1 and 15, 2023, and January 15, 2024
(3) & (4) November 15, 2023, to January 21, 2024
Closed: every Monday (*Excluding January 8, 2024), the day after a National Holiday (November 24 (Fri.) and January 9 (Tue.)),
Year-end and New Year holidays (December 26 to January 5)
(1) Experience making Nara's traditional craft, korakumen masks
Participants can try their hand at coloring korakumen masks, which are used in Shinto rituals with bugaku music and dance performed at shrines and temples in Nara. This is a valuable experience where Ryudo Nakabo, an artist who has worked in the field for over 60 years, will provide instructions on how to make the masks and tell stories about korakumen masks.
(2) Himuro Shrine: Watching Nanto-style bugaku music and dance performance, and lighting ice lanterns
Participants will have a special seat from which to watch the bugaku performance, which has been passed down through the historic Himuro Shrine in Nara and can only be seen there. They will also experience an ice lantern lighting, which is unique to Himuro Shrine. (The god of ice is enshrined at Himuro Shrine, and the name of the shrine, Himuro means 'ice room.)
(3) Nara Crafts Museum: Special Exhibition of Traditional Crafts "Crafts, Shrines and Temples of Nara"
Please enjoy the works of contemporary artists together with the history of Nara's crafts, which developed hand in hand with the ancient and famous temples.
(4) Nara Crafts Museum: Sales of traditional crafts
Visitors can purchase artwork produced by Nara's craft artists. Visitors will be able to see firsthand and purchase the crafts of Nara, which have been produced using methods handed down and refined for over 1,300 years. -
Silk culture tour of Kaga silk production areas with Mr. Takamatsu, the only Japanese tailor of haute couture for women
・Private tour to experience silk culture in the Johana area of Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture. The tour is led by Taichiro Takamatsu, the only Japanese tailor of haute couture for women, with a background in Christian Dior Couture Paris.
・Exhibition and explanation of dresses made of shike silk, the only one of its kind in Japan that uses the breed called Koishimaru, a native breed also kept by the Imperial family (some dresses are not available for viewing).
・Visit to Matsui Silk Weaving, the only weaver of shike silk in Japan, accompanied by Mr. Takamatsu himself, who will explain the weaving process.
・Accommodation at the art hotel Rakudo-An, where guests can enjoy food, folk art, and contemporary art.
・Dinner party with Mr. Takamatsu at il Clima, an Italian restaurant that lavishly uses local ingredients. -
Project hosted by the prominent Takeda family, which has supported Arimatsu tie-dyeing for 400 years, to deliver an experience of hospitality meant for the Shogun
(1) Dressing in the finest Arimatsu tie-dyed kimono and having authentic makeup (for women) applied is a rare experience even for Japanese people. This is a rare and valuable experience for overseas visitors, and they will enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience of elegance. In this attire, participants will have commemorative photographs taken at Japanese gardens, a traditional house, and around the town.
(2) A tea ceremony will be held at the tea house Saishoan, a significant tea house which was visited by the Tokugawa Shogun twice. Participants will enjoy an authentic Japanese tea ceremony using a tea bowl made by an artist who is a living national treasure. The tea room is a special place that exudes a simple atmosphere of the Japanese idea of wabi-sabi, or imperfect and ephemeral beauty.
(3) Wear a kimono and take a stroll through the traditional streets of Arimatsu, a town that has continued since the Edo period. On the way, visit an Arimatsu tie-dyeing workshop to observe the dyeing process of Sekka, also known as Itajime, or board-clamping tie-dye. The moment the dyed work is finished is truly awe-inspiring, creating a one-of-a-kind, original work of art. -
Slow Photography Project: JAPAN LOCAL inside 2DAYs
In an age where it is increasingly easy to take photographs, this art project dares to use the earliest photographic techniques to capture the streets of Japan that retain an Edo Period ambience. The Fukusumi area in Tamba-Sasayama City, which has been designated as a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, retains the looks of an Edo period post town and surrounding rural landscape. The area is about an hour's drive from the cities of Kyoto and Osaka.
Participants will learn about the earliest photography techniques and the history of photography in a lecture by photographer Koichiro Kurita while also participating in an art project. Participants can take home photographs that they have taken and developed themselves using these techniques.
For accommodation, participants will stay in a hotel renovated from a 250-year-old traditional minka house, where they will enjoy creative fusion cuisine that combines French and Japanese culinary techniques. Enjoy a two-day trip of authentic local culture and Japanese art right between Osaka and Kyoto. -
A high value-added stay program to experience the mystique of the 1250-year-old Shingon sect Daihonzan Daisho-in Temple of Mt. Misen on Miyajima (Itsukushima), the "island of the gods"
This program will focus on the spirituality of Miyajima, which has been worshipped as the "island of the gods" since ancient times. The entire island is registered as a World Heritage site, and by offering experiences of Japanese culture and history unique to Miyajima, this program offers a deep dive into spirituality to encourage participants to converse with themselves. Through historical and cultural experiences at Shingon Buddhist Daisho-in Temple, the oldest temple on Miyajima, visitors can feel spirituality that has been passed down for more than a thousand years. The tour will provide visitors with the key to unlocking the history of Miyajima while allowing them to pay their respects by visiting the seven shrines around the coast of Miyajima.
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Entertainment by Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine and the geisha of Fukagawa, sure to be an extremely memorable part of your visit to Japan
1. Japanese traditional performing arts: A well-paced show of Japanese traditional performing arts with English commentary at the Wedding Hall of Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine. An opportunity to learn about history and tradition.
2. Cultural experience: Experience the beauty and spirit of Japan, from putting on a kimono upon arrival, to the sword action in the play and the tea ceremony after the meal.
3. Ozashiki games with geisha: You can enjoy ozashiki party games, which usually require a referral and reservation, with a lecture by a geisha as an attendant.
4. Sacred venue: Decorated with seasonal decorations, Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine is a sacred space that is not available for public use, with approximately 400 years of history.
5. Fine kaiseki dining at the prestigious Tsujitome: High-end kaiseki cuisine with seasonal ingredients and the chef's extra care to create well-balanced dishes. Finish with Fukagawa-meshi rice dish. -
Rugby hospitality & special program by Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo
(1) Family special experience tour program
A special day with your family. This program also includes a special session of the Brave Lupus training academy, so parents with children interested in rugby are encouraged to join.
Talking with non-member players, a Brave Lupus special practice session through the training academy, a tour of famous spots, a rugby match viewing with commentary, meeting with Michael Leitch, and more.
(2) Special hospitality tour program
Get a taste of everything offered by Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo in one day. Meet many of the players up-close and become a "Braver" yourself.
Clubhouse tour and meeting non-member players, a tour of famous spots, a special welcome present from players, participation in the player entrance ceremony for the team, a rugby match viewing with commentary in special seats, dinner with Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo ambassador Hitoshi Ono, and more. -
Private VIP tour of world-renowned Naoshima and Setoda by HONDAJET
A new partnership between HONDAJET and helicopters, yachts, and hire cars is here! The trip from Haneda Airport to Naoshima, which used to take five to six hours, has been shortened to only two hours. The Geiyo Islands area, which includes Setoda and Shimanami Kaido, is also now only an hour away from the Naoshima area. This partnership has achieved an unprecedented level of convenience for visitors!
The local experience offers an exclusive taste of all three categories: culture, mindfulness, and interaction with locals. In Naoshima, the renowned Chichu Art Museum and Teshima Art Museum are fully chartered. Participants can also experience the "Ma" program, which uses aroma and tea to harmonize the five senses and mind.
In the Setoda area, participants will tour the hidden secret islands by catamaran yacht. On board, private chefs offer sushi, Japanese meat cuisine, Japanese-French cuisine, and more. Participants will also stop at local residences on the islands along the way and enjoy welcome parties thrown by the islanders.
There are also a variety of cultural experiences to have, such as visits to sake and soy sauce breweries, Japanese paper studios, pottery studios, Shinto shrines, and Buddhist temples. Surprising experiences that even Japanese people do not know about await visitors, including Gerhard Richter's largest work of art, Chichibugahama Beach, known as the Salar de Uyuni of East Asia, and the giant Goemon Cauldron Baths, which are only found in Japan. At dusk, a colorfully constructed grazing table is prepared, loaded with locally sourced ingredients. With a local brew in hand, sit back and enjoy the sunset and evening cruise. -
Delivering a luxurious experience in Oku-Nikko during the fall foliage season
Nikko has a rich historical and cultural heritage, including the World Heritage site, "Shrines and Temples of Nikko." Nikko is also a world-class tourist destination with natural attractions such as the Oku-Nikko-Shitsugen wetland, a Ramsar Convention wetland. As the seasons change, so to does Nikko, but the most spectacular time of year is during the fall foliage season, which attracts many tourists from within Japan and abroad.
This tour goes to and from Tokyo and offers a truly special time in Nikko during the fall foliage season.
A helicopter will be used for the trip to Nikko, providing stress-free views of the fall foliage below. After arriving, guests will head to the Ritz-Carlton Nikko hotel, where the G7 Ministerial Meeting was held. They will be fully immersed in the history, nature, and culture of this area through private tours to learn about and see Japan’s history and nature firsthand with professional guides, followed by dinner at the former embassy villa, a symbolic international summer resort. This 2-night, 3-day plan provides a special time that is "exclusively now, exclusively here, and exclusively for you." -
Admire the beauty of Japan at Mishima Taisha Shrine, an Important Cultural Property - The ultimate shrine experience to be appreciated with all five senses
Special nighttime viewing of Mishima Taisha Shrine, an Important Cultural Property, decorated with lit-up autumn foliage and waka poems written on tanzaku paper strips. Guided by a British guide who has passed the first grade of the Jinja Kentei (Shinto culture exam), visitors will tour the precincts and pavilions and experience a formal visit to the shrine led by a Shinto priest in accordance with traditional manners at the hall of worship. Special seating, arranged around the designated cultural property Maidono Stage, allows visitors to appreciate gagaku (traditional Japanese court music) performed by Hideki Togi, a court musician. After the gagaku performance, guests will enjoy a premium dinner at Ryusenen Japanese Garden, a registered Tangible Cultural Property, featuring creative Japanese cuisine developed by a renowned chef using branded agricultural and marine products from Mishima in the western foothills of Hakone and Izu.